An Unexpected Turn
by Mika Minx
Summary: The final battle, with a surprising outcome. Warning: character death. Ship ambiguous; depends on how you look at it.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra. That would be Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino. Not me.**

Korra was standing alone in what used to be the Probending Arena. She took one step after another carefully onto the ring, occasionally peering over the edge, where the water had been completely drained. She took one step towards the burnt center of the ring, and watched dust float from the edge that she had just been standing.

Construction had been going on for a few days, but Korra had snuck away from guard duty to get a look at the place. It was weird: empty without all of the fans, the lights, the commentaries, the fighting.

She lifted her chin to get a good look at the ceiling. There was still a giant hole in it from Amon's airship, but she liked the way that the edges sparkled at the left edge where the sun hit it.

Korra heard footsteps directly behind her and she flinched. She didn't turn around, but grimaced sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry, Tenzin. I was just looking-"

"So we meet again, Avatar."

A breath caught in Korra's chest and she turned around, only to be knocked down. She saw the mask before anything else: the cloak, the gloves, the boots, and finally, the eyes. Amon's eyes. She hastily tried to regain her ground, but in her hastiness she only made it up to her knees before he had his hand on her forehead.

"I won't…" she whispered harshly, "I won't let you take my bending away!"

"Who said I was going to do that?" he growled and pushed her backwards, so that she skid towards the edge of the ring. She quickly regained footing and clenched her fists.

"What… what do you mean?" she yelled, trying to keep hardness in her voice while also attempting to keep it from faltering completely.

"I could take away your bending and leave it at that," Amon started, speaking suavely and using very little movement as he inched closer to her, "but then I wouldn't get the full satisfaction of winning with an effort. I'll even let you throw the first blow."

"Alright," Korra said, nodding. She lifted her fists, and hopped from one foot to another, copying Mako's movements from their probending matches. She contemplated which element to use as she watched Amon's unmoving figure. Firebending? No, he would probably expect that. Plus, she would have to get too close to use it. Earthbending? That could be of some use here, but she was sort of out-of-practice with it, not having used it much lately.

Korra looked over the edge and gathered as much water as she could from the pit below, moving her hands in rapid circular motions as she tried to maintain calm breathing. With two swift motions, she sent a rush of water towards Amon, who still didn't move, and turned the water into icy spikes halfway between the distance between them.

None of them hit him.

"What?" Korra growled in frustration, and furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't see any water around him… where had it landed?

An ice block hit her square-on mid-thought. She flew from one edge of the ring into the net that had been diagonal from her.

"What's going on?" she demanded, cradling her right eye, as she tried to maintain focus. All of her vision was blurry now, and the lights were blending together. She soon regained sight of her left eye and was able to find Amon, standing right where he had been before, left hand poised upward, another ice block levitating just inches from his gloved fingertips.

"You're a bender?" she asked in shock.

"Not in so many words. This belongs to that obnoxious waterbender with the flippy hair. I stole it from him."

"That's…" Korra gasped. "That's impossible."

"Oh really now? Then this must be impossible too," he said and sent the other ice block flying at her, but she was able to tuck-and-roll to avoid it. Her mind was still trying to comprehend how exactly he could be doing this when she ran towards him with a fireball in one hand. He grabbed her wrist and sent lightning surging into her body.

Korra was gasping now, fighting off blackness and fatigue that was trying to seep through her senses, control her body. She desperately needed the Avatar State, the avatar ability that Jinora and the White Lotus people had told her about. How exactly did it work? She was throwing rocks and breaking off bits of the stadium with earthbending as she tried to remember. She dodged some more of Amon's ice blows as she placed her fingers together, airbending style, reaching for help, any help.

_Avatar Aang, where are you?_ she thought desperately.

She was winded; she and Amon were standing on an even smaller ring than at the beginning, and he was standing just ten feet from her with his hands behind his back. She watched his hand slowly rise to about her head level, and he balled his fist. Korra's stomach churned, and she suddenly couldn't breathe.

"Wha…" she choked, squinting in pain.

"Did you know that blood is made almost completely out of water?" he asked and cocked his head to one side. Korra could only assume that he was probably grinning maliciously. It was only after he had completely crushed her stomach that true fear entered her. Pure, complete, fear. Something she had never felt before. Her legs wobbled and she squinted her eyes shut.

_No! It's not supposed to end this way!_ she attempted to say, and fought back all of her emotions, all of her helplessness. She had to be strong. She was the Avatar. She couldn't go like this. She refused to die at the hands of such a malevolent man, one that would surely destroy the city and people she loved if she didn't fight for them.

The Avatar tried to stand again, feet slipping and sliding, her entire body leaning to one side, but as she raised one arm, she heard a crack. Multiple cracks and pops led up her arms and legs, and she saw bones poking through her left forearm. Blood leaked from her shoulder, and her skin gained a purplish hue all over.

She felt blood and vomit catch in her throat, and the former dripped from her mouth. They left red streaks down her chin and droplets on her clothing, on the dusty ground. She clenched her jaw shut, and felt the warm metallic taste fill her mouth.

Korra threw one punch. It wasn't a fire-laden blow, nor one that she knew would meet Amon.

It didn't. The last thing she saw through her wide, paralyzed, bright blue eyes, was the mask.

A rush of footsteps echoed through the arena. A voice called from the audience. A boy's voice. Or was it a man? No, it was a boy, right on the threshold of manhood. A broken, devastated, terrified, cry.

"_Korra!"_

__**A/N: So, how did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Are you mad at me for killing Korra? Also, who do you think was it at the end? I'm curious to know what you guys think! Please review :) Plus, if you review, you get a cookie! It's true, minus the cookie part.**


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